Does this cattleya look like it is infected with Fusarium?

[Laticauda]

Does that look like dehydration due to fusarium?
Thank you for your help.

It is not as secure in the pot as the other two plants I ordered. This could be due to it being a "seeling" as opposed to a "plant in 2.5 inch pot". It does have some rotted roots but also has some healthy roots. I haven't taken it out of the pot to inspect the whole root structure because if is is a diseased plant and I'm able to return it, I can't return it if it's been unpotted. I was really looking forward to this one 😖

Is there anything I can look for to confirm or deny the presence of fusarium without completely unpotting the plant?

[Orchid Whisperer]

Fusarium is a real disease, but unfortunately seems to have turned into a "fad" diagnosis, especially on YouTube.

What I see is a seedling with some older dehydrated leaves and a newer growth that seems healthy, with some red coloration, probably related to growing in higher light.

Trust me here - 36 years growing orchids. Mostly Cattleyas. I had one plant in that time that ever had Fusarium. I would not suspect it with yours. You might get advice for diagnosing Fusarium that involves cutting the plant, this plant is too small for that.

Instead, provide good care, watch it grow, and be patient. I think it will be fine.

[rbarata]

It looks to me also anthocyanin pigmentation.
Just like our skin gets tanned with the sun, plants in high light conditions produce a red pigment called anthocyanin (as well others) that serves as a protection (like our sunscreen cream).
In plants requiring high light this is an indication that the light levels are optimal.

[Ray]

I agree with OW.

What I see is a tiny plant (with limited mass to store reserves) that has been underwatered.

[Laticauda]

Thank you everyone!
This puts my anxieties at ease. You're so right, YouTube had me scared!

[bogdan]

Originally Posted by Laticauda

You're so right, YouTube had me scared!

That is how clicks and views are made.

The plant will be OK if properly watered. Good luck!

[estación seca]

You can get a lot of good information on YouTube if you limit orchid-related viewing to habitat videos, and videos posted by people who have been growing their own orchids to sell for some years (not buy to resell quickly and not grow just for fun, but their lives depend on it.)

People often advise letting Cattleyas dry between waterings. This is for mature plants. Cattleya seedlings shouldn't stay soggy wet, but neither should they dry out for any length of time. (There are a very few exceptions.) When I had some in large bark growing out in the open in my house, not in a terrarium, I had to water them every single day through the year.

[Laticauda]

estación seca, I noticed that this morning when I checked on them and they were dry. I watered them on Thursday. I put a little bit of sphagnum moss on top of the bark for this one since it's so wiggly, to help anchor it and also to help keep the moisture in the pot longer.
Thank you so much for your advice, I've never had such a small and fragile orchid before.

I contacted the seller and she said her sprinklers malfunctioned a time back and soaked everything so she turned them off and some of the babies Prob a my dried out too much. She's offered to refund my money if it fails to survive. I'm sad it's been set back though. Hopefully that means it'll be all that much more rewarding if I can get it to bloom eventually.

[Roberta]

If the plant is at all wobbly in the pot, it might be a good idea to stabilize it a bit more with staking. For the little ones, if you break a barbecue skewer in half, put a piece on two sides of the plant, you can hold it in place without having to tie it.

[Laticauda]

Roberta,
Do the barbeque skewers do well? Whenever I've tried the bamboo chopsticks, they'd get moldy. Have you ever experienced this with the skewers?